The Claremont Hotel, built in 1915, rises high in the Berkeley Hills, about a mile from the University of California campus, even closer to the Oakland border. Photo taken in 2008.

The Claremont Hotel, built in 1915, rises high in the Berkeley Hills, about a mile from the University of California campus, even closer to the Oakland border. Photo taken in 2008. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

This mural inside Coit Tower was painted in the 1930s, when there were lots of newspapers and lots of people read them while taking ferries across the bay. Photo taken in 2009.

This mural inside Coit Tower was painted in the 1930s, when there were lots of newspapers and lots of people read them while taking ferries across the bay. Photo taken in 2009. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

This sign looks down on the Ranch at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. On the hottest days, if you sidle up to those crows, you can sometimes hear them panting. This shot was taken on a chilly day in December 2014.

This sign looks down on the Ranch at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. On the hottest days, if you sidle up to those crows, you can sometimes hear them panting. This shot was taken on a chilly day in December 2014. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)